Federal Register Notice
October 6, 1997
Volume 62, Number 193

AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, (DOT).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public
Law 104-13, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) invites the
general public, industry and other Federal Agencies to comment on the
continuing need and usefulness of DOT requiring air carriers holding
section 418 certificates, that do not submit Form 41 reports, to file
Form 291-A ``Statement of Operations and Statistics Summary for Section
418 Operations'' pursuant to 14 CFR 291.42. Form 291-A is used to
monitor air-cargo activity carried on strictly all-cargo flights.

COMMENTS: Comments should identify the OMB #2138-0023 and submit a
duplicate copy to the address listed above. Commenters wishing the
Department to acknowledge receipt of their comments must submit with
those comments a self-addressed stamped postcard on which the following
statement is made: Comments on OMB #2138-0023. The postcard will be
date/time stamped and returned to the commenter.

Needs and Uses: Form 291-A financial data are reviewed in
connection with an air carrier's operations when concerns arise as to a
carrier's financial condition as evidenced by reported losses and
delinquency in payments to creditors. Data comparisons are made between
current and past periods in order to assess the current financial
positions. Financial trend lines are extended into the future to
evaluate the continued viability of the carrier.

When an all-cargo carrier wishes to extend its operation to
passenger service, the carrier's prior Form 291-A filings are examined
as a source document to help determine the carrier's financial
condition.

FAA's Safety Indicators Division is developing an integrated
approach to exposure data (Form 291-A is a part of this data) in the
aviation industry to support the Safety Indicators Program. FAA's
National Safety Data Center is currently using Form 291-A in compiling
annual year end flight hours, miles flown, and departures. Also, these
activity data are used by the National Transportation Safety Board in
determining the airline industry's annual safety indexes.

Commercial all-cargo activity data are used by the FAA in
estimating the excise tax paid by shippers and held by the all-cargo
air carriers. Although a precise tax figure cannot be computed from the
Form 291-A reports (because some cargo movements are exempted from the
excise tax), an estimation is possible for revenue budgeting purposes.